04 PROVINCE: BRITISH COLUMBIA 06 PROJECT: BRITISH COLUMBIA SOIL SURVEY REPORT NUMBER: 12 REPORT NAME : SOILS OF THE FORT NELSON AREA OF BRITISH COLUMBIA MAP TITLE : FORT NELSON CLBRR CONTRIBUTION #: 06 MAP/REPORT PRINTED PUBLICATION DATE: 1971 07 AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS: NAME AFFILIATION ------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- K.W. VALENTINE LAND RESOURCE RESEARCH CENTRE, B.C. UNIT 08 CONTACT PERSON AT CLBRR, OTTAWA: DICK COOTE 09 PHOTOGRAPHY SCALE: 1: 10 SIL: 5 according to Table 2 of Mapping Systems Working Group 1981. 11 OBSERVATION STRATEGY AND SUPPORTING DATA FOR: Access was by driving the Alaska Highway and available side roads. Access to the alluvial terraces was by boat. Most of the area was inaccessible by vehicle. These areas were covered by a 4 day helicopter traverse and air photo interpretation. These areas were covered in less detail than areas Accessed by road or boat. There are profile desriptions for all of the soils described as occurring in the map area. Most of the major soils were sampled for chemical and particle size analysis. 12 SYMBOL CONFIGURATION INCLUDING CONCEPT OF SOIL MAP UNIT: The map area was first divided into four terrain systems based on the recurring patterns of geology, morphology, and surface materials. Within each terrain system the soils were described as soil series or as land types. Seventeen soil series and four land types were recognized. The map unit symbol is either a simple unit or a compound unit. A simple map unit consists of 100% of one soil series. The compound map symbol is made up of two soils with the proportion of each soil given in tenths. The land form types are simple map units. The map has several areas delineated with steep land symbol. In some cases all of the polygons of a given map unit are steep. eg. all Dd-Mi units. However, some other map units occur both as designated steep polygons and regular non steep polygons. eg. Sk. Simple map unit: Sn Snake soil series 100% Compound map unit: Fn:6-Ha:4 Fort Nelson soil series 60%; Hamilton soil series 40%. Land Types: a: melt water channels b:recent bars c:valley side slumps d:abandoned river channels 13 ANALYTICAL METHODS LIST [refer to McKeague if possible]: Texture: sand, silt, clay. The pipette method was used. Kilmer, V.J., and L.T. Alexander. 1949. Soil Sci. 68:15-24. pH(CaCl2). Schofield, R.K., and A.W. Taylor. 1955. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 19:164-167. Organic matter. Method of Peech, M., et al. 1947, given in Atkinson, H.J., et al. 1958. Chemical methods of soil analysis. Can. Dept. Agr. Chem. Div., Sci. Serv., Contribution 169. p. 16. Revised. For organic horizons, the samples were ashed at 400 C in a muffle furnace and organic matter was calculated as percent loss of weight. Total N. Kjeldahl method given in Atkinson, op. cit. p. 20. Easily soluble P. Bray method in Atkinson, op. cit. p. 25. Easily soluble S. Johnson, C.M., and H. Nishita. 1952. Anal. Chem.24:736-742. Exchangeable cations. Clark, J.S. 1965. Can. J. Soil Sci. 45:311-322. Cation-exchange capacity. The Na-saturated soil from the exchangeable cations determination was washed with 1 N NH4Cl and the extracted Na was determined on an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Electrical conductivity. Saturated paste method, in Richards, L.A. [ed.] 1954. Diagnosis and improvement of saline and alkali soils. USDA Agriculture Handbook No. 60. CaCo3 equivalent. Schollenberger, C.J. 1958. Soil Sci. 85:10-13. Oxalate-extractable Fe and Al. McKeague, J.A., and J.H. Day. 1966. Can. J. Soil Sci. 46:13-22. 14 ESTIMATE OF RELIABILITY: No reliablity studies were done and no estimate of reliability is given in the report. 15 LIST OF ORIGINAL CATEGORIES AND CONVERSIONS (OPTIONAL): Soil Map Unit File Documentation The descriptions of the soils and map units in the Fort Nelson soil report and the Fort Simpson Trail Area report (Report # 58,BC soil survey, 1982, by R.C. Kowall) were used. The Fort Simpson Trail report covers the adjacent map ares and many of the soils from Fort Nelson also occur in this area. This report gives additional information to supplement that given in the Fort Nelson report. The soils and extents are set by the map unit symbol. Phases of the soils in the map unit are also defined by the soil description in the text. There were several simple map units which were broken down into a dominant soil (soil1) with 80% extent and a second minor soil (soil2) with an extent of 20%. These were the units Kl,Mc,Pk,Sp, and Pr. According to the descriptions of these map units in the Fort Nelson and Fort Simpson reports: Klowee includes some McConachie soils McConachie includes some Klowee soils Prophet includes a minor amount of cryosols, which were called Prophet, cryic phase. The Fort Nelson map sheet also includes 4 land types as mapping units. Based on the descriptions of these units in the text and map legend, the most likely soils to occur in these units were identified. The melt water channels occur in the Sikanni terrain system and are described as having steep bedrock exposures and organics in the trough. This unit was assigned 50% rockland, 30% Milo soils and 20% McConachie soils which are the organic soil occurring in this terrain system. The other 3 land types occur in the Muskwa terrain system. Abandoned river channels are described as been made up of gleysolic fluvial soils and open water. This unit was assigned 70% of the Prophet soils poorly drained phase and 30% water bodies (ZZZ code). Valley side slumps land type occurs along the river valleys where the Buckingham shales are unstable. The Fort Simpson Trail report has several colluvial soils named. The Klenteh soil, stony, unstable phase describes the valley slumps very well. These soils are developed from the shaly colluvium. The unit also includes 20% rock outcrops. The Fort Simpson Trail report also descibes a coarse gravelly sand fluvial soil (Kiwigana soil). A regosolic and subject to annual flooding phase of this soil (100%) Kiwigana soil was used to describe the recent bar land type. A separate list of phases is included. Modifier1 describes the soil phase for soil1, modifier2 describes the phase for soil2, modifier3 describes the phase for soil3. The slopes given on the map pertain to the soil and in the SMUF the slopes relate to the specific soil. The midpoint of the range was chosen (rounded to the nearest whole number). The provincial correlator has adjusted slopes where he felt the estimated value was too high or too low. Stoniness is estimated from the parent material and profile descriptions. Extents, phases, and stoniness were checked by the provincial correlator, Herb Luttmerding. Soil Name File Documentation The soil codes are as set by the old Cansis soil name file or added as needed . eg. RKL for rockland. Modifiers are set by E. Kenney and are created as required for soil phases, variants, and taxijuncts. Refer to separate table. Watertable: Unless stated in the report imperfectly drained and poorly drained soils assigned YU and organics assigned YB. Root restriction: Assigned to most likely horizon based on text description and profile description of root number. Drainage: Most common drainage from text. Mode of deposition: Most common assigned from text of the Fort Simpson report. Parent materials of the soils are not given in the Fort Nelson report. Taxonomy: Most common assigned from text and updated to 1988 taxonomy. Profile: In B.C. this field is assigned -. Sortcat is a provincial field and is sum of soilcode + modifier. MODIFIERS USED IN B.C. FOR ARC-INFO SOIL MAP SOIL NAME AND SOIL LAYER FILES DEC.16/88 AND USED IN FORT NELSON REPORT NUMBER DESCRIPTION OF PHASE 04 gleysolic soils 12 peaty phase 52 stony and slumping. 53 carbonated and peaty gleysol 54 cryic 55 fibric and cryic 56 regosolic and subject to annual flooding Soil Layer File Documentation For the Fort Nelson Report the sources for each soil profile are indicated. Where data was missing, the data were estimated. These estimates have been checked by the provincial correlator in conjunction with the federal correlator and adjusted where deemed necessary by them. Bar: Profile from the Fort Nelson report. All data are estimated from the profile description, except cec and base saturation which are estimated from the description for the Trail soil in the Fort Simpson report. Donaldson: Profile from the Fort Nelson report. All data are estimated from the profile description and the text description given in the Fort Simpson report. The description of the Trail soil was used to estimate the eolian portion and the Fort Nelson soil data was used to estimate the data for the 2Ck horizon. Fort Nelson: Profile and most data from the Fort Nelson soil.LFH horizon and base saturation estimated from the description in the Fort Simpson report. Hamilton: Profile and most data from the Fort Nelson soil. LFH horizon and base saturation estimated from the description of the Fort Nelson soil in the Fort Simpson report. Jackfish: Profile from the Fort Nelson report. Data for the surface sandy horizons estimated from the description for Trail soil in the Fort Simpson report. Data for the Sikanni soil used to estimate data for the lower horizons. Klenteh 52: Profile and data estimated from the description in the Fort Simpson report for the Klenteh soil, stony and unstable phase. This soil was used as the major componet of the valley slumps land type. Klua: Profile and most data from the Fort Nelson report. Remainder of data estimated from description in text and the description of the Parker soil in the Fort Simpson report, which indicated that the Klua soil should have similar properties to the Parker soil. Klua55: Profile from the Fort Nelson report. This is a fibric organic cryosol. Data estimated from description in text and the description of the Parker soil in the Fort Simpson report, which indicated that the Klua soil should have similar properties to the Parker soil. Klowee 12: Profile from the Fort Nelson report. Soil is described as a peaty gleysol.All the data were estimated. Data for the McConachie soil were used to estimate the data for the organic horizons. The data for the mineral horizons were estimated using data for the Sikanni soils. Kiwigana 56: This is a regosol and subject to annual flooding. Profile and data estimated from description of Kiwigana parent materials in the Fort Simpson report. This phased soil was used as the component of the recent bar land type. McConachie: Profile and most data from the Fort Simpson report. Data for the CEC and base saturation estimated from the description in the text of the Fort Simpson report. Milo: Profile from the Fort Nelson report. Data estimated from the profile description and from the data for the Fort Nelson and Hamilton soils. The Milo soil is developed in colluvial materials derived from the parent materials of the Fort Nelson and Hamilton soils. Parker: Profile and most data from the Fort Simpson report. Data for the CEC and base saturation estimated from the description in the text of the Fort Simpson report. Prophet: Profile adapted from the profile given for the cryosolic Prophet in the Fort Nelson report by dropping the z horizon suffix. Data for the cryosol was used to estimate the data for the non cryosolic Prophet. Data for CEC are estimated from the description of the Snake soil in the Fort Simpson report. Prophet 04: Profile adapted from the profile given for the cryosolic Prophet in the Fort Nelson report by dropping the z horizon suffix and adding g suffix as well as a buried Ah horizon. Data were estimated as for the Prophet soil. Prophet 54: Profile and data from the Fort Nelson report. Data for CEC are estimated from the description of the Snake soil in the Fort Simpson report. Pouce: Profile and data from the Fort Nelson report. Sikanni: Profile and data from the Fort Nelson report. Snake: Profile and data from the Fort Nelson report. Data for CEC are estimated from the description of the Snake soil in the Fort Simpson report. Simpson 53: Profile from the Fort Nelson report. Data estimated from profile description and data for organic horizons also estimated from the data for Parker soil. Data for the mineral horizons also estimated from the data for the Fort Nelson and Hamilton soils. Simpson soil occurs on the same parent materials. Simpson soil is defined as a carbonated, peaty gleysol. Trail: Profile from the Fort Nelson report. Data estimated from the profile description and the soil description in the Fort Simpson report. Utahn 12: Profile from the Fort Nelson report. Data estimated from the profile description and the soil description in the Fort Simpson report. The data for the organic surface layer was estimated from data for the McConachie soil. Estimates for Trail soil were used as estimates for the mineral horizons. Notes: Where data from one soil is used to estimate data for another soil it is because the two soils occur on similar materials, eg. both are part of the same catena. number of observations = 1, if real data for that horizon and that profile and = 0 if estimate, either as a value from another profile or estimated from no real data. CF% unless a percentage is given: gravelly = 35%, very gravelly = 60, and if description indicates some gravels present percentage = 5%, 10%,15%, or 20% depending on materials or description. Particle size fractions estimated from mid points of texture class if not provided, Where data for one horizon is real and texture in underlying or overlying horizon is same the real data is used as estimate. Particle size estimates used for various textures given below: Texture % sand % silt % clay HC 1010 80 C 2030 50 SIC 545 50 SICL 10 55 35 CL 3530 35 SCL 6010 30 SIL 2560 15 SIL-SICL 10 64 26 SIL-FSL 4550 5 L 4042 18 L-SL 50 32 18 SL-L 55 30 15 SL 6525 10 FSL 4550 5 LS 8015 5 S 90 5 5 SANDY GRAVEL 95 3 2 organic carbon was given in most cases and for lower horizons C% was estimated to decrease with depth. Where there was no data given carbon was estimated from data for similar soils. pHCaCl2 estimated from pHH2O and vice versa add .5 to pHCaCl2 to estimate pHH2O (Davies,1971, SSSocAm Pro. 35:551-552). Where there was a reaction class given for the horizon and no other pH data for the horizon the midpoint of the reaction class was used for pHH2O. bases and cec were provided for some soils in this report and where data not available for horizons, data was estimated from previous horizons, or from similar soils or from information given about cec and base saturation given in the Fort Simpson report. Ksat estimated using structure as developed by McKeague etal 1986 and discussed in Coen and Wang 1989. This is the approved method for this project. Given the level of accuracy the following values are used: cm/hr class 60 H2 30 H1 10 M3 3 M2 1 M1 0.3 L3 0.1 L2 0.01 L1 In estimating Ksat each horizon is treated independently, and the horizon above or below does not have an influence. Water retention values: Kp0 calculated from total porosity equation. Kp10,Kp33, and Kp1500 for mineral horizons not been done yet. Waiting to determine the best method for estimating these data in light of testing done using values calculated from regression equations developed for B.C. using available data. The Kp values for permafrost layers (z horizon suffix was assumed to be not applicable). See separate Kp summary. Bulk density estimated from texture, and horizon using the approved methods for this project. Refer to Pettipiece 1987, and McKeague and Wang 1985? EC unless indication of salinity EC = 0 and Cansis guidelines followed for salinity classes. Where pH2>8.0 EC assigned value of 1 if no other value or indication of salinity was given. CaCo3 unless indication is given = 0 if no values given then weakly calcareous = 3, moderately calcareous = 10, strongly calcareous = 20, Ck = 10 Cca = 20 and if pH2 > 8.0 then CACO3 assigned value of 1 or 3 depending on description of materials. Litter estimates based on summary of available North American data. Organic soil estimates based on summary of available Northern Hemisphere data. 16 OTHER PROVINCIAL INTERPRETATIONS: 17 OTHER PROVINCIAL COMMENTS: From: OTTH::GISSCI "Bruce MacDonald" 12-FEB-1991 10:09:27.25 To: OTTB::EM230BC CC: GISSCI Subj: ATTN E. KENNY RE BC018900 TO OTTB::EM230BC FROM GISSCI TASK# 9101-18 ATTN ELIZABETH KENNY RE BC018900 AS A RESULT OF YOUR QUESTIONS AND CONSULTATION WITH KEITH VALENTINE, BRUCE AND I HAVE THE FOLLOWING EXPLANATION FOR YOU AS TO THE OCCURANCES OF MAPUNITNOM VALUES CONTAINING "/s". AN INQUIRY OF THE DIGITAL MAP, RESTORED TO OTTH FOR ANALYSIS REVEALED THE FOLLOWING RESULTS: ARC> RESEL UTMSOIL POLY MAPUNITNOM CN '/s' 14 records selected ARC> LIST UTMSOIL#,UTMSOIL-ID,MAPUNITNOM $RECNO UTMSOIL# UTMSOIL-ID MAPUNITNOM ===================================================================== 30 30 399 a/s 33 33 409 Sk/s 59 59 420 Sk/s 81 81 544 Sk/s 109 109 522 a/s 132 132 13 a/s 133 133 87 Sk/s 158 158 105 Sk/s 159 159 106 Sk/s 273 273 235 Sn/s 489 489 236 Pr/s 503 503 121 Sk/s 523 523 458 Sk/s 532 532 392 Dd:7-Mi:3/s AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH KEITH VALENTINE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT "/s" REPRESENTS STEEPLY SLOPING LANDSCAPES. THIS IS INDICATED ON THE PRINTED MAP BY A CROSS-HATCHING OVERLAY. THE CROSS-HATCHING INDICATES A TOPOGRAPHIC CLASS OF "Moderately rolling and steeper 9+-30%". Sk or SIKANNI SOILS ------------------- IF YOU WILL REFER TO THE PRINTED MAP, IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND SECTION, SEVERAL OF THE SIKANNI POLYGONS (DARK ORANGE-PINK COLOR) WITH THE CROSS- HATCHING OVERLAY ON THE EDGES. ALL PLACES WHERE THE CROSS-HATCHING OCCURS WAS TREATED AS A SEPARATE POLYGON, WHEN THE MAP WAS DIGITIZED. THAT IS WHY THERE ARE SOME Sk POLYGONS WITH A "/s" ADDED TO THE MAPUNITNOM. a/s MAPUNITNOMs --------------- IF YOU WILL LOOK AT THE PRINTED MAP, ALL AREAS WHERE AN "a" SOIL OCCURS (MELTWATER CHANNELS), THERE IS CROSS-HATCHING ON EVERY OCCURANCE. THIS MEANS THAT ALL MELTWATER CHANNEL SOILS ARE STEEPLY SLOPING. THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO INDICATE THIS ON THE DIGITAL FORM. 1. ALL OCCURRANCES OF "a" WILL HAVE A "/s" ADDED TO THE MAPUNITNOM OR 2. THE FACT THAT ALL POLYGONS WITH "a" HAVE A STEEPING TOPOGRAPHY IS INDICATED IN THE SMUF FILE. MY PREFERENCE IS TO HAVE THE 3 MAPUNITNOM VALUES CORRECTED ON THE DIGITAL MAP TO REMOVED THE "/s" AND HAVE THE TOPOGRAPHIC INFORMATION INCLUDED AS PART OF THE SMUF. Dd:3-Mi:3/s ----------- THIS POLYGON IS SIMILAR TO THE "a" POLYGONS WHERE ALL OCCURANCES ARE STEEPLY SLOPING. THIS MAPUNITNOM CAN BE HANDLES IN ONE OF THE TWO WAYS AS INDICATED FOR THE "a" POLYGONS ABOVE. MY PREFERENCE IS TO HAVE THE 1 MAPUNITNOM VALUE CORRECTED ON THE DIGITAL MAP TO REMOVE THE "/s" AND HAVE THE TOPOGRAPHIC INFORMATION INCLUDED AS PART OF THE SMUF. Sn SNAKE -------- THE 1 OCCURRENCE OF "Sn/s" IS AN ERROR IN THE MAPUNITNOM AND WILL REQUIRE AN CORRECTION TO THE DIGITAL MAP. Pr PROPHET ---------- THE 1 OCCURRENCE OF "Pr/s" IS AN ERROR IN THE MAPUNITNOM AND WILL REQUIRE AN CORRECTION TO THE DIGITAL MAP. DECISIONS TO BE MADE -------------------- FROM YOU/THE PROVINCIAL CORRELATOR, WE REQUIRE THE FOLLOWING DECISIONS/APPROVAL: 1. HOW TO HANDLE MELTWATER CHANNEL POLYGONS - INDICATE TOPO IN SMUF OR CHANGE MAPUNITNOM FOR ALL OCCURRENCES 2. HOW TO HANDLE Dd:7-Mi:3 POLYGONS - INDICATE TOPO IN SMUF OR CHANGE MAPUNITNOM FOR ALL OCCURRENCES. 3. NEED PROVINCIAL CORRELATOR'S APPROVAL TO MAKE CHANGES TO MAPUNITNOM IN POLYGONS WHERE THE "/s" VALUE IS INCORRECT (AS INDICATED ABOVE). IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION WITH THE MAP ANY FURTHER, PLEASE CALL ME AT (613) 995-5011. C.C. KEITH VALENTINE K. BRUCE MACDONALD